Why touch me, if not to feel me? {discontinued}

Chapter 1: The ball

I smooth my hands over my hips, flattening out my dress. It's dark green, like Slytherin - I can imagine Draco dancing with me now. God. I don't even want to be here, but Matt insisted I should. Our parents organised this charity event with another family and we don't get to see them very often.

I live with my brother Matt because I'm taking a gap year to sort my life out. Matt works from home and goes into the office about once a week. He's a photographer; editing other people's photos, and sometimes his own. He gets to take photos of famous models sometimes, but I tend to stay away from them now.

The hall is overly ornate, I feel like the money they spent putting this together could be spent helping charities instead of all this... Shit. It's massive, for a start, and all I can think about is the electric bill due at the end of the month. Especially when regarding the massive chandeliers. Everything seems to be glossed in gold - a rich man's colour - and stabbed enough times for red to bleed out in places. It looks very regal and I don't belong here. The floor is polished enough to be a mirror so, thinking about it, I glance down and check that my hair is still in place. I had it done up for tonight, but I'm not feeling it anymore. I have half a mind to just leave, but if I do before the auction then I'll never hear the end of it from my mother. When she's old and wants to move in with me she'll bring up the time when I 'left the most important night of her life' and such.

"Hey, Pip! You having fun?" Matt asks, affectionately wrapping his arm around my shoulders. We look out from where we're stood, at the side of the great hall and pressed against the wall.

I give him my best 'do I look like I'm having fun?' look and mutter, "Sure." He pulls me further into his side and kisses the top of my head.

"Don't worry, the auction is in a minute and we can leave after then, okay?" He offers, letting his hand drop to mine.

"Okay," I sigh. The boredom is going to eat me alive. "I'm gonna get some food, while I still have the opportunity." I state.

"Alrighty, good luck," Matt laughs, looking at all the the bodies that are impeding my route to the food table.

I raise my eyebrows at him in recognition, then make my way across the room. I slip between people; employing tactics I learned from dodgeball at highschool. With the size of the room, you'd think it wouldn't be so cramped, but no. The amount of people who turned up makes the room seem small.

"Persephone!" I hear my name, so twirl around on my heel and notice one of Matt's friend's - Nick.

"Hey Nick! I didn't think you'd be here," I smile. He takes my hand and pulls me closer to him - our conversation was being disjointed by the people between us.

He chuckles quietly, "No, I didn't think I'd be here either." He scratches the back of his head and looks down slightly.

I laugh lightly at him, "You came for the girls," I declare confidently. That's the only reason he comes to these things. The problem is: the people who come here willingly are egotistical and dull.

He laughs, "Damn, you got me." He rakes a hand through his hair.

I go to say something, but am interrupted by someone putting their hand on my hip. Assuming it's Matt, I let it be. However, when I feel a body pass by behind me and a mutter of "Sorry, Love." In my ear, I frown. I glance at the body and see him turn his head to me and wink, before disappearing through the crowd. His voice sounded like if ash-wood had a voice, it was Northern and I'm not quite sure if he belongs here. The leather jacket and curled quiff scream 'badass' not 'charity ball'. I look back at Nick, who shrugs at me. Helpful.

"Anyway, how's your—" Nick starts, but is cut off by a microphone twinge, then my mother's voice ringing through it. "—Night going." He mutters. We are both aware that I'm not going to answer.